I Was Just The Ward
by xWanderingChildx
Summary: Sophia Albernath is the first ward of Narnia. Daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Archenland, she is whisked away to the magical land of Narnia to learn the ways and customs of the royals. This learning experience may be more than she expected and more than she bargained for. She will find love and face heavy trials. All to become one of the most important women in Narnian history.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi everyone! This is my first personal story! I hope you all like it! Please review even if you don't like it! I adore all types of feedback!**

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The air was cool and dry, just the way she liked it. She took a deep breath in. _If only I had days like these every day. _She thought to herself. _If I didn't have so many pointless social appointments, I could actually take some time to enjoy myself. _Clearing her head of these thoughts and choosing, instead, to enjoy her time alone, she kicked her shoes off and ran into the woods. As a child, the woods were her place of entertainment, and growing older changed nothing. She felt her hair lightly catching in low lying tree branches, and she thought about all the ways she was ruining her presentability with complete glee and a devilish smile. Her black, wavy hair flew behind her, ruining the new style that her nurse had taken several hours to complete in the early hours of the morning. _All for those stupid ladies and lords of the court. _Sweat staining her tan face and smearing the pounds upon pounds of makeup slathered on her face. Dirt and twigs staining and ripping the hem of her new dress. _It's a horrible thing anyway. _She lied to herself. To be quite honest, she was rather fond of this particular dress. _Mother designed it for the occasion, _she thought to herself, slowing to a walk, and kicking the grass as she went. _Stupid royals. Stupid men. Stupid father._With each thought she kicked the ground even harder, until she sent a large heap of dirt flying in the direction of an amused onlooker. She jumped back in a fright.

"Victor! What are you doing here? And how did you find me?" questioned the girl, almost angrily. The onlooker, Victor, chuckled before answering.

"One, dear sister, I'm here to fetch you. Two, I just followed the lovely dents in the scenery," he said pointing behind her. She whipped around and stared at the patches of dirt where she'd kicked up the ground. She huffed.

"I needed to be alone," she sighed, kicking the ground again. Victor laughed.

"Clearly." With his response, she turned to him, scrunching her nose up in question.

"Why did you need to fetch me?" she queried. "No new guests are due for another four hours. What more does father want from me?" Victor walked towards his sister, took her arm through his in the normal fashion, and began to walk with her towards their home.

"The Narnian congregation has arrived early, and you've missed their welcome." he answered. She huffed again and threw her hands up in frustration.

"Not more!" she whined. "There are already so many in the manor. I barely have any time alone. I don't want to have to play the pretty host anymore." Her brother sent her an endearing look.

"Well they're all leaving in two days, anyways." He said. "You can hold out that long, can't you?"

"And so am I, if you haven't forgotten!" she snapped back. Victor's eyes softened. He felt his sister's frustration. Once every five years, ladies from under the stature of princesses from the ages of fifteen to eighteen in a specific kingdom were claimed as wards by various kings in different realms. A minute under fifteen and they were ineligible. A minute over eighteen and they were also ineligible. They would be taught to act, think, and speak as a royal, as well as learn of the ways of their host kingdom for the course of five years. The eventual goal was to attract the attention of a suitor of a higher state. In return for the women, their families and subjects received a sum of money as well as any goods that kingdom may want to offer as compensation for the absence of their ladyship. It was a crude bartering system, but it was tradition. Much to the anger of the young girl, Archenland was chosen for this season's exchange, and she was the ripe age of sixteen.

"I hate having so many people in the house," she whined. Victor turned to her.

"Father is the Duke. It is tradition for everyone to reside at the Duke's manor." he replied. "Either way, you don't have to deal with the mothers and daughters alike crowing around you like you're some piece of meat." he complained. She shook her head and let out a single burst of a laugh.

"Ha! You don't have Prince Saadaan and Prince Aadian staring at your chest throughout luncheon." she stated darkly. Victor spun her around at hearing the names of the Calormene princes.

"You avoid them and their men, yes?"

"Yes."

"You lock your wing of the hall every night?"

"Yes, and I keep my key with me at all times."

"You never walk anywhere unaccompanied?"

"No, except the forest. They're too superstitious to follow me."

"You keep your daggers with you?"

"Yes, Victor! Now enough with the thousands of questions!" she huffed. They walked quietly for the rest of the way, and the girl was glad for it. She was too preoccupied with her thoughts. _I am not a good for trade. I am a human being. How could father allow this to happen? I was so close to being free from this stupid obligation. Now I must leave to some foreign country, and I do not even have a choice. Father will chose the agreement that is best for our people. Imagine if I'm sent off to Calormen. Or the Lone Isles? _Her thoughts were finally interrupted when she and her brother approached the back of their home, where her fussy nurse bustled out. Victor seized this opportunity to dart away from his sister and the nurse, who, in this state, seemed rather ferocious.

"By the mane, Sophia! You couldn't keep yourself together for a few hours? Look at your dress! It's ruined. And your hair! And your makeup! And where are your shoes?" The nurse screeched. Sophia sighed, visibly upset. _Honestly, I don't know which question to answer first._

"My shoes are somewhere at the edge of the woods. My hair was pulling at my scalp, so I ran in it. And my makeup was bound to smear eventually," she replied. "I will take only a few minutes to ready myself. Just leave my red silk dress out, Munny. I'll be down to greet everybody soon," she pleaded. Her nurse must have seen the distress on her young mistress' face, because her face softened.

"Very well, miss. Up to your room. I shall have everything prepared."

"Thank you, Munny."

* * *

Sophia sat in her room after getting ready. She stared at herself at the mirror on her vanity. Her hair had been done in loose waves, and she was wearing a rather simple red dress with a straight lined skirt and half sleeves. Her hair was tied back with a red ribbon, and her makeup was done simply. She continued to stare at herself. _I don't want to go down there. _She thought. _I'll be viewed as simply a project. Not to mention it will be a bloodbath. All the ladies of Archenland trying to gain the attention of all the royals in the realm. I'm not prepared for this. _Once again her thoughts were interrupted, as she heard a knock at the door.

"Come in!" she called. The door opened, and she watched as her brother opened the door. But before he walked in as he so usually did, he stopped and stared at his sister.

"What's the matter?" Sophia asked. _Do I have something on my face? Is my hair a mess? Does this dress look awful on me?_

"Nothing is wrong." Victor replied. "You look beautiful, sister." he stated. Sophia was about to thank him before he continued. "But you looked troubled."

"Oh, Victor. What if I end up in a horrible country? What if I'm so far away, I'm never able to come home for a visit? What if my hosts do not allow me to visit or be visited? What if I don't get chosen?" The worries came tumbling out of her mouth. Victor seated himself on his knees at his sister's feet and tilted her chin so that she was looking directly at him.

"You should not have to worry about anything, Sophie." he replied. "I'll take care of everything."

"How?" asked Sophia. "Father will choose the best arrangement for the land." Her brown eyes began to water.

"I'll have none of this crying business." Victor said, pulling his sister into a hug. "Either way. The decision is mine."

"What do you mean?" she asked, pulling her head away.

"Well," Victor sighed. "Father was so taken by the wine that he left the choice to me." With those words, Sophia leaped with joy.

"Yes! Oh do make sure I stay somewhat close to home!" She requested, excitedly. "And make sure I don't go to Owlswood. If anything, make sure of that!" Her excitement was bubbling over.

"Sophie, you need to slow down." Victor said, placing both his hands on his sister's shoulders. "You haven't been in the house nearly all day! You have no stamps on your card!" Sophie's face dropped. Each eligible maiden had a card that was left out on a giant table at the entrance of the house. As these women mingled with the royals of various kingdoms. The king of each country would place a stamp on a maiden's card if she so happened to catch his or his company's interest. At the end of the night, the bidding on the wards would begin. More times than others the bidding would go until the wee hours of the morning. However, if a maiden received no stamps on her card, she would retire for the night, and be a source of shame for her family. _The wine won't be there to save me from father, then. _She thought bitterly.

"Father will lock me in the cellars, if I don't manage to get at least one stamp on my card!" Sophia cried, looking to Victor, desperately.

"There are still three hours left in the showcase!" He responded. "You'll need to do something unique." He said. Sophia began to calm down. The showcase was a period of time where the eligible maidens could move around from station to station displaying their talents in hopes to gain the attention of certain kingdoms.

"Well what has been done so far?" she asked. Victor shook his head.

"Needlework, baking, painting, crafting, penwork, and knitting have all been done." He replied. "Dancing as well, but only waltzes." Sophia's faced turned with worry. _All the common skills have been covered. _She thought to herself.

"What will I do?" she asked her brother. He sat for a moment, thinking deeply, as his brows furrowed.

"You'll do what you do best: fight." he said simply. She gave him an irritated look.

"Fight who? No one has ever displayed skills with weapons before. It's unheard of!" she snapped.

"That's why it will work, little flower." Victor responded, using her mother's old nickname for her. She heaved a breath.

"Let's do this, then."

* * *

"Announcing the daughter of Duke and the dearly departed Duchess Albernath, Lady Sophia Albernath." _He's always so loud. Pompous windbag. _Sophia thought to herself as she calmly descended the stairs. _I can do this. I just need to fight in front of every eligible maiden in Archenland, as well as the most important dignitaries in all the realm. _She was only glad that her brother awaited her at the bottom of the stairs to escort her through the throng of people. The throng, however, had no intention of letting her through.

"Why, my dear girl, where were you all this while?" queried a nasally voice. Both Sophia and Victor cringed at the sound of the Baroness of Arrowmead's voice. "The whole congregation was looking forward to viewing your _ahem_ interesting needlework." The insult of the Baroness' statement was not lost in her politeness. Sophia knew that her needlework was not as satisfactory as others would like. _It's awful. Father could probably do better than me with his fat thumbs. _Sophia took up a sickly sweet smile and tone while answering.

"As was I, your grace." she replied, curtsying. "However, I shall have to entertain you and the rest of the congregation in a much different fashion, tonight." Sophia watched as the Baroness' smug smile dropped off her face.

"W-w-well what did you have planned?" she asked, stuttering at first. "All of the designated sessions have concluded." The nervous baroness stated, gesturing to all the empty stations. Sophia let out a girly laugh.

"Where is the fun in anything **planned**, your grace?" She asked. The baroness had nothing with which to respond, and no time either. _Good thing, too, I might have ended up hitting that stupid smile off her face._

"Ladies and gentlemen. Friends and trusted allies, I would like to request your presence on the training field. Shaded seating as well as fresh food and drink will be provided." Victor's voice boomed across the entire first floor of the manor. _He always did command the attention of the room. _Sophia watched as the entire assembly flooded towards the back garden and out to the field. She took a deep breath, and made her way as well.

* * *

There was a cool breeze that rippled across the sunlit training field. The collection of royalty and nobility were seated and confused. Sophia reached the training ground. Sword in hand. _Deep breaths. Focus. _She barely registered her brother saying to the crowd.

"My dear younger sister, Sophia Albernath, would like to display her skill in swordplay. She requests a single male to accept her challenge to a duel. To a disarming only. I can assure you that she is a worthy challenger." with those words, a murmur whooshed through the crowd. Sophia could hear whispers of "A lady? Fighting?" She scoffed. _Are they all that afraid? _Silence went through the crowd as she scanned with eyes narrowed. After several minutes, a voice broke the silence.

"I, King Caspian the Tenth, accept the Lady's challenge."

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**Hope you all enjoyed! And, once again, please review! I'll be updating every 1-2 weeks on Saturday evenings!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi everybody! Here's chapter 2! I hope you all enjoy it! Please review! I love feedback of all sorts! SO MANY EXCLAMATION POINTS! There's also a poll on my profile. The nature of this story depends on it, so please go check it out!**

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"I accept the Lady's challenge." Sophia's mouth nearly dropped to her toes, as a young man bearing the crest of a lion on his doublet walked out from the crowd. The King of Narnia. Sophia gasped, lightly. No one from the Narnian congregation ever even interacted with the ladies of the ward exchange. _They only attend it as a formality. They've never had a ward since the beginning of the tradition. _Sophia thought to herself. _Well, he does seem interested._

"Excellent!" Victor shouted, clapping his hands together. "The duel shall begin when both parties assume the position." He then winked at his sister, and vanished into the buzzing congregation. Sophia took time to examine her challenger as he walked toward the field. Lean, with long dark hair, and piercing dark eyes, he looked about twenty. _How on earth is he a king? _Sophia thought to herself. He finally reached the field and bowed.

"My lady." she raised her eyebrow at the heavily accented voice. It was rare that a royal bowed first in a first meeting with someone of lower stature, and Sophia was taken aback. She quickly regained her composure and replied with the expected curtsey.

"Your majesty." The young man seemed hesitant to continue. "Is something the matter?" she asked.

"I was wondering if your ladyship would take an early reprieve to change into clothing more suitable for a duel." he stated, glancing at her dress. _Is he being serious? _

"With all due respect, majesty. I have been trained according to appropriate circumstance" she said with a heated tone. "I doubt my violent adversaries would allow me such a privilege." The young king looked shocked.

"Apologies. I did not mean to offend, my lady." he said, and he was sincere. Another shock to the daughter of the duke. "I do not wish to harm you." he stated, rather awkwardly. _For a king, he doesn't seem rather smart when it comes to women holding weapons. _She thought to herself.

"And I do not wish to harm you." she replied, smirking. Once again, the king looked shocked, but in an amused sort of way.

"Then we shall begin?" he asked, grinning.

"We shall, indeed." The two assumed the position, each eyeing the other carefully. A hush fell over the usually boisterous crowd.

Then it began

Swords clanging, twirling, slashing. The fight began with purpose. Sophia's skirt billowing through each of her movements. She still maintained her grace as she stabbed and swung. The King, while more experienced, was rather slow. He took a more aggressive approach to his fighting. Sophia took a more calculated stance. She was fast and could judge the movements of her opponents rather quickly. The two's energy did not falter as they continued. Sophia gritted her teeth and started attacking viciously, bringing a look of shock to the face of The King. He began to defend himself with a variation of complicated parries. Slicing through the air, the movements of the blades were clearly heard around the field. They each remained concentrated on their opponents. One last swing and…

Sophia's eyes widened as she watched a sword clatter to the ground in front of her. _My sword. _She slowly looked up at the king who sheathed his own sword, before picking up hers and handing it to her. _What?_ No winner of a duel ever handed the losing sword to its owner. It simply wasn't custom. Sophia took her sword and curtseyed again.

"Majesty." She said.

"My Lady." He said in due response. "You are a superior swordswoman." The girl raised her eyes at his compliment.

"But, Majesty." she said. "I lost the duel." she turned her eyes downward. Before the king could respond. Victor jumped out from the crowd.

"The winner! King Caspian the Tenth of Narnia!" He bellowed. The crowd applauded politely. "Now if you will all make your way back into the manor, the bidding will begin after dinner." Everyone turned to leave, and Victor sauntered up to Sophia.

"That was amazing, Sophia." he said as he lead her back to the house. Sophia was still confused.

"Victor, I lost the duel." she said. "Why are you congratulating me?" Victor turned and stared at his sister with wide eyes. _Is he alright? He looks like he just swallowed a bug._

"Sophia!" He exclaimed loudly, causing his sister to jump.

"What?"

"No one has ever begun to dream of lasting as long as you did against any of the Narnian kings!" He blubbered excitedly. "The mere fact that you lasted more than four minutes in the duel, is enough to prove your worth on the field. Now come on. Let's go check your card!" her brother whined. _I can't believe this. He's nineteen, yet he's still such a child. _She laughed as she allowed herself to be dragged away by her older brother.

* * *

"I don't believe it." Sophia murmured, staring at her card. _Four stamps. I've gotten four stamps! The Lone Isles: It's far, but the king is a good man. Owlswood: It doesn't even matter, they've nothing to trade except feathers and luxury items. Calormen. _She shuddered involuntarily. _I doubt I can stay there without a constant bad taste in my mouth. And this one. I've never seen it before. _She turned to her brother, who pulled her into a tight hug.

"Congratulations, little flower." he whispered into her ear.

"Thank you, Victor." she said, relaxing. "Victor, do you know who's crest this is." she asked, pointing to the unknown crest. Victor's eyes widened to the size of dishes.

"Narnian." he said, in awe. Sophia's jaw dropped.

"_What?"_ she whispered. "They haven't picked a ward in all the two thousand years of this tradition!"

"Well don't act so offended!" Victor cried. "That King saw something in you!" Victor said, before smirking and adapting a high pitched voice. "And you didn't even need to show him your _ahem_ interesting needlework." He finished in laughter. Sophia shoved him lightly.

"Oh shut up." She said and watched with an amused smile as he walked away and was immediately bombarded by a gaggle of girls. She giggled. _Serves him right. The prat. _A voice being cleared behind her caused Sophia to turn around. She turned to find herself face to face with a Prince Saadaan of Calormen. The prince was a tall, skinny boy of about seventeen. With dark skin, beady eyes, and a pointed beard, he looked as suspicious as he was.

"Your highness." she said, dutifully curtsying. The prince stared down at Sophia as if she were a bug, not making any move to bow.

"Interesting stunt you pulled, girl." Sophia was shocked. _Well, I suppose the formalities have been abandoned. _

"Thank you, highness." She responded softly.

"That wasn't a compliment." The prince snapped. He leaned in closer to the girl. "Just be aware that when you come for your stay at Calormen, that will not be tolerated." Sophia was shocked, but hid her surprise under a smirk.

"What makes you so sure that I'll be accompanying you back to Calormen?" she asked haughtily.

"Because I know that I can offer that infantile brother of yours an offer he won't be able to refuse." The prince snarled. "How are your granaries doing in the lay season?" he asked, smiling maliciously. Sophia's heart dropped to her stomach. _Whoever offers aid with the harvests will immediately win the bid. _The prince noticed the change of Sophia's expression and chuckled evilly.

"I'll see you at the bidding, tonight, girl." With that, he stormed away. Sophia was heartbroken. She knew that if she went to Calormen, she would be subject to the prince and his burning gaze as well as his disrespect for five whole years. The girl began to walk around the manor, deep in her thoughts. _What'll I do? Maybe if I run away? My horse can carry me to the shore. No, I'd need heavy supplies for that. Maybe I cou- _Her thoughts were interrupted as she crashed into something large and muscular. They both toppled to the floor. Sophia looked up to see none other than The King of Narnia. She quickly scrambled to her feet.

"Y-your majesty! I'm so sorry. I don't know what I was thinking!" The girl was stuttering frantically, and the king was sitting on his bottom and staring wildly at the floor. Sophia stopped talking and just stared at the king. "I-is everything alright?" she asked quietly. The king began to laugh. Sophia took a step back. The king continued to laugh a pleasant laugh. _All right, I think the Narnian king has been completely taken by the wine. _The king stood up, wiping tears from his eyes.

"Ah." He said. "I suppose I deserved that." he said. Sophia looked confused.

"What do you mean, your majesty?" she asked. He chuckled.

"Well I knocked your sword down, so you ended up knocking me down. I suppose it's only fair!" The king had a kind natured smile on his face, and Sophia immediately felt comfortable with him. _He seems friendly. _She thought allowing herself to relax. The king looked down at the girl with a genuine smile.

"Will you walk with me, Lady Sophia?" he asked gently.

"If it pleases your majesty." She replied with due courtesy. They began to walk.

"What was troubling you?" asked the king. Sophia smiled raised one eyebrow.

"How did you know I was troubled, majesty?" she asked.

"I've had my fair share of maidens run into me while being distracted with their problems." he responded nonchalantly.

"You mean the other two queens of Narnia." she said.

"Indeed." he began. "they never seem to pay attention to where they're going. Now tell me, what caused you to run into me?" he asked kindly.

"Only worrying about where I shall be sent for the next five years." the king nodded his head in understanding.

"That can be a taxing thought." he said. "Well, where do you not want to go?" Sophia was quick to respond.

"Definitely not Owlswood. All they'd do is put me in pretty dresses and feed me until I was bursting at the seams." The king laughed at this. "Not Calormen either, however they seem to be ready to put the best agreement on the table for my family and our people." she sighed.

"And you're not in objection to spending your next years in Narnia?" he asked. Sophia shook her head.

"Not at all, your majesty. No maiden of title from Archenland besides the princess has ever been there. It seems like a lovely place." she said.

"I'm glad to hear it." he replied. They continued their walk in silence. Finally, the king turned to Sophia. "I do not want you to be afraid, my lady. If you do not wish to be in Calormen, I will ensure you are not in Calormen. I myself would not trust my own friends in the hands of those two princes and their father." Sophia stood in blank shock.

"Majesty, how did you kn-?" the king cut her off

"One hears rumors." He said. "Unfortunately, my lady, I must go and prepare myself for dinner. We are all about to have a long night ahead of us." with that, the king bowed and took his leave. Sophia was left to her thoughts once again

* * *

As was custom, the bidding for the daughter of the duke began last, around midnight. The king of Archenland had taken the Baroness of Arrowmead's daughter. The king of the Lone Isles laid claim to the daughter of the count of Westerly and relinquished his claim on Sophia. The king of Owlswood took the daughter of the Marquis and also relieved his claim on Sophia. The only ones left were the Narnian King and the Tisroc of Calormen. The Tisroc was a tall man with the same appearance as his son and the same temperament. The whole table went quiet with anticipation. Sophia was seated in between her father and brother. She gripped the tablecloth. Her knuckles turned white, and her breathing was shallow. She watched as Prince Saadaan made eye contact with her and smirked evilly. She began to tremble in anger. Feeling an arm on her shoulder, Sophia looked up to see her father staring down at her with his calming chocolate eyes. He nodded as if to say_ You'll be alright. _Sophia's father was not a bad man. The death of a wife can drive anyone to partial madness. In his own bout of grief, the duke neglected to care for his young daughter, and the task was left to his son of fifteen years old and the girl's nurse. Three years later, and the duke was more attentive to his children and his subjects. Still a quiet man, he reserved his speech for the most important moments. Moments such as this.

"As Calormen has laid first claim to my daughter, they shall have first rights to procure an agreement." he said quietly but with purpose. A hush fell around the giant dining table. Everyone was eager to see which country would win the rights to the Lady Sophia. The Tisroc of Calormen stood.

"We offer twelve crates of gold for the lady's rights, as well as twenty-seven of the finest Calormene horses." Sophia was appalled. _Am I honestly being traded for horses? _she thought angrily. _The gold is granted for the daughter of a duke, but this? Of course they wouldn't place their best offers on the table, yet. They want to see how little they can pay for me. _She turned to her older brother, whose stony expression gave no thoughts away.

"This _is _my sister we are discussing." He said lazily, running his finger around the circumference of his goblet. "Surely she, being the swordswoman she is, is worth more than some beasts."

"Of course." replied the Calormene ruler. "I amend my agreement to include one fourth of the Calormene summer harvest." Silence. Sophia's chest tightened. _No._ However, her brother, was not impressed.

"They'd call me a slaver if I simply agreed to the exchange based on an extra sack of grain." he said. Sophia grinned inwardly. _No one had ever tiptoed so carefully around an insult towards the Tisroc. _The Calormen ruler's face was a testament to that.

"Understandable." he said through gritted teeth. "I add a token of one half of the Calormene summer harvest, as well as all the stores from our two largest granaries." Noticing the fear that jumped to Sophia's face, the Tisroc, as well as his son, grinned evilly. Victor's eyes widened and he just stared at the generous offer proposed by the Calormen ruler.

"Your grace?" A heavily accented voice interrupted the silence. Sophia's head whipped around to stare at the King of Narnia. _Please be my saving grace. _She thought to herself. Sophia noticed the eyes of the Tisroc and prince narrow considerably.

"We laid first claim to the girl." said Prince Saadaan through gritted teeth. The Narnian King barely even glanced at the rude prince.

"Yes, and your agreement contained a sum no bigger than my left toe." he replied. Sophia had to hold back a laugh. _This is perfect._ she thought. "I offer thirteen troves of Narnian silk, a selection of any Narnian ship, twenty crates of gold, and I match every single ounce of grain offered in the Calormene agreement." as the list was constructed, Sophia's jaw dropped. _That is absolutely ridiculous. How did h-_

"I consent!" exclaimed Victor with a goofy grin. He glanced at his father, who gave him the nod of approval. Sophia couldn't help the smile that erupted on her face, and she took care to make sure that the Calormene congregation saw it. Turning to the Narnian king she mouthed,

"_Thank you."_ which was returned with a slight inclination of the head as if to say _It was nothing, my friend._

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**WOOO! There's that! We'll see more character development in the next chapter and even meet the royals! I hope you all enjoyed, and once again, please review!**


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